Launch of 2014 national breast cancer awareness raising campaign

The Minister of Public Health launched from the Serail yesterday the 2014 national breast cancer awareness campaign entitled “she reminds you of everything… your turn to remind her of her mammography”.  The event was held under the auspices of the PM’s wife, Lama Tammam Salam, and was supported by the Syndicates of doctors, pharmasicts, nurses and hospitals in additional to the national breast cancer committee.  This year, the Campaign highlighted the important role that men play in raising awareness about breast cancer and early detection.
In her keynote address, Salam called for modernizing the national breast cancer register, the setting up of a national early cancer detection programme, improving social services to all citizens as well as providing a better treatment for serious diseases.  The Minister of Public health, Wael Abu Faoor, noted that breast cancer constitutes 42% of total cancers afflicting women and 21% of all cancers affecting women and men.  He added that this is a high percentage that necessitates special care and intervention from the state and from civil society as well as the medical corps in Lebanon.  Abu Faoor further noted that the level of interaction of rural women with this campaign is low compared to urban areas, which, according to Abou Faoor, is indicative of the failure of the state in reaching remote rural areas.
To be noted that this campaign will go on for three months during which women can have a mammography at any public hospitals and at designated private hospitals and dispensaries at LBP 40,000.  A list of the latter health centers can be obtained from http://www.moph.gov.lb and http://www.roche-arabia.net, and the hotline 1214 can be called, for further information or for lodging complaints.
Source: Al-Nahar, Al-Diyar, Al-Safir 16 October 2014